Isang Barangay Patungong CPR-Ready Philippines
Short link: https://wp.me/paaccn-10Fc
MANILA — The Philippine Heart Association (PHA) will be in Barangay Rizal, Pateros, Metro Manila, at 8 a.m. for a heart-felt and heart-consciousness event to intensify their campaign for a healthy heart for every Filipino, young and old, women and men.
Here’s the schedule and what attendees can expect from the hearty event.
July 17, 2026 (Friday), 8:00 AM – 12:00 NN
Rizal Covered Court, Barangay Rizal, Taguig City (National Celebration Site)
Hands-Only Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Awareness should start in the country’s smallest administrative division.
“Public places and spaces should be AED-equipped.”
Keeping basketball legend Samboy Lim’s legacy alive
Guests/Resource Persons:
HON. LANI L. CAYETANO
Taguig Mayor
HON. BERNADETT VELASCO, MD
Director
Department of Health-Health Emergency Management Bureau
HON. JOSELLER “YENG” GUIAO
Head Coach, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters
Philippine Basketball Association
Head Coach, University of the Philippines
Congressman, Pampanga, 1st Dist. 2013-2016
Mr. ALLAN J. CRUZ
Barangay Captain
Rizal, Taguig City
Dr. AURORA MURIEL S. GAMPONIA
President, Philippine Heart Association
Dr. OLIVER D. SISON
Director III/Advocacy Chair, PHA
• July 17, 2026 is the 10th anniversary of the CPR Law/RA 10871 (an act that mandates public and private schools nationwide to require K-10 students to under age-appropriate hands-only CPR). But RA 10871 has yet to be implemented by the Department of Education.
• On July 17, 2026, the Philippine Heart Association-led CPR-ReadyPH casts its sights on every barangay, with the goal of igniting the interest of every barangay health worker (BHW), every barangay resident in CPR and AED awareness campaign, to save lives. You don’t have to be a doctor, a nurse or a paramedic to save a life.
• The CPR –Ready Barangay Na! campaign will be held nationwide as a simultaneous event with the PHA National as the lead agency in Metro Manila. Venue of Metro Manila nerve center: Rizal Covered Court, Barangay Rizal, Taguig City
• Participants: BHWs Barangay Tanods; community volunteers; teachers and students; local government officials and personnel (Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, et al), and Media covering the Health, Sports, and Lifestyle beats.
• Auxiliary celebrations will be led by 16 PHA Chapters, 4 Sub-chapters, 27 PHA-accredited training institutions, and PHA-accredited CPR training centers across the country.
• The CPR Law honors basketball legend Samboy Lim, the case of the much-revered cager, who suffered a heart attack that triggered a sudden cardiac arrest in Nov. 2014, inspired the enactment of the CPR Act, nicknamed Samboy Lim Law. Republic Act No. 10871, also known as the CPR Act or “Samboy Lim Law,” mandates age-appropriate Hands-Only CPR education for K–12 students in public and private schools.
• Congressman Joseller “Yeng” Guiao (Pampanga, 1st District, 2013-2016) is the principal author of the Samboy Lim Law. The CPR Bill lapsed into law in July 2016, 10 months after it was filed.
HISTORY
• July 2015 – Birth of the PHA-led CPR-ReadyPH campaign.
• July 2016, filing of the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Bill, an act that requires the installation of the life-saving gadget in public places and spaces, right after the passage of RA 10871. From 2016 to 2026, the PHA was relentless in calling on the government to pass the AED Law. Rep. Richard Gomez and Sen. Lito Lapid have had filed similar AED Bills in Congress and Senate.
• July 17, 2026 is also the third anniversary of the declaration of July 17 every year as National CPR Day by Malacañang.
• WHY IT MATTERS
o Most cases of SCAs occur outside hospitals, making bystanders the first and most critical responders.
o Cardiovascular diseases are still the leading cause of death in the Philippines, with ischemic heart disease or coronary artery disease
o as the top killer. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, in 2025, 30 Filipinos die from heart attacks every hour, and an estimated 70,000 Filipinos die from sudden cardiac arrest each year. Yet, less than 5% survive — a stark contrast to the 30–50% survival rates seen in developed countries.
o Immediate Hands-Only CPR and early AED use within the first 4–6 minutes can significantly improve survival and help prevent irreversible brain damage. — Gynna P. Gagelonia, PHA MRO (/)